


easy lies the head that wears a crown

by pigmey



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bughead is strong with this fic, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 15:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11129790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigmey/pseuds/pigmey
Summary: Jughead asks Veronica to help him look for a certain piece of jewelry. And then they eat a lot of burgers.It's honestly just the result of me watching the beginning of the 7th episode too many times.





	easy lies the head that wears a crown

Jughead Jones wasn’t exactly certain this day would eventually come, but he sure as hell hoped. He definitely dreamed about it. He internally groaned whenever a thought about a Riverdale High’s abandoned janitor closet crossed his mind, the closet where he lived for almost three weeks and where one night he dreamed—and dreamed vividly—about being married to Elizabeth Cooper.

And there he was, in some kind of private jewelry viewing, organized by no one other than Veronica Lodge. Very excited Veronica Lodge. He’d even go as far as to use one of his favorite words—‘ecstatic’—to describe her current level of enthusiasm. He’d called her last night. This morning, without any warning, he got grabbed from the street, put in a private limo and driven to New York City.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until you actually do it, Jug! This is so thrilling!”

They browsed through various rings, displayed on velvet cushions and handed to them by an elegant attendant. His attire and mustache were so impeccable they made Jughead, who wore a simple plaid shirt, black jeans and his usual crown, feel like a hobo.

“Well,” Jughead said, closely inspecting a diamond so big, shiny and multi-hued he got concerned about his eyesight for a second. “You can stop worrying about sleep deprivation, then. I’m planning on doing it as soon as I possibly can, in fact I’d love to just—“

“If you say ‘just to get it over with’ I’m honestly going to smack you!” declared Veronica, but she laughed all the same. “Where’s the romance, Jug? Where’s the writer’s imagination? Where’s the whimsy?”

“Look, Ronnie,” he sighed. “Betts and I have been over this so many times already that buying this stupid overpriced rock is just a formality, okay? She doesn’t even care. That much.”

“Why did you call me with such urgency, then?”

“What? No! No, the urgency part is your fault, pal! I just said I was maybe, possibly beginning to think about it and I asked you to consider helping me in your spare time. I didn’t think you’d clear your whole schedule immediately!”

“Anything for my favorite couple on the planet” she cooed. “Look at this one! I mean, I’d swoon on the spot.”

The ring she chose was silver and embellished with a giant sapphire.

“Of course you like it, it’s… _you_ , Ice Princess. Excuse me,” he turned to the mustachioed attendant. “Could we maybe see something smaller, please? And less colorful.”

The man bowed and disappeared in an adjacent room.

“What do you mean, it’s _me_?”

“I don’t know, it suits you. I saw the ring and I thought, ah yes, I could see Veronica Lodge wearing this giant blue stone on her finger.”

“I guess I’ll buy it, then. It is gorgeous, and it might just put some thoughts into Archie’s head.”

They both chuckled.

“How is he, anyway?” asked Jughead. “He calls me when he has time, but it’s not the same as living with him.”

“Living, right,” mumbled Veronica. “Archie’s very happy, you know, and I’m obviously happy for him and with him. But he’s constantly on tour. I won’t lie, I preferred the days when he stuck to the local music scene. Much simpler times.”

They took another velvet cushion from the attendant and resumed browsing. This time the rings were more modest and, in Jughead’s opinion, a whole lot prettier.

“However!” she went on. “He’s coming back in a couple of days and we’re planning on flying to Hawaii for a little getaway. I already offered Betty, but she said you guys will be busy with the premiere and everything.”

“Oh, yeah, she mentioned. Damn, the ‘meet the author’ sessions are going to be the death of me. My introverted soul is screaming even just at the thought of it.”

“I’m sure you’ll be articulate as always. We’ll come to the first one, Archie and I.”

“It really means a lot, guys.”

“Don’t mention it. We both just want to meet the author of the best criminal series in recent years! And get his autograph, if we can push past the usual crowd. And ask him very complicated and in-depth questions.”

He started to laugh, but then Veronica’s perfectly manicured hand clenched forcefully on his forearm.

“Ouch, what—“

“Jug. This is it.”

She pointed at one of the rings, laying inconspicuously among many others.

“Are these—“ he began, squinting his eyes.

“I think so. Probably not the jeweler’s intention, but Betty will know, just like we do. It’s perfect.”

Jughead grabbed the ring and held it in front of their faces for a final inspection.

“Sir,” he almost managed to hide the slight trembling of his voice. “We’ll take it.”

Veronica hugged him with a loud squeal. The attendant smiled broadly, bowed once again and took the ring— _the ring_ —to properly enwrap it.

 

*

 

Betty called when they were eating lunch at the best vegan burger place in Manhattan.

“I honestly don’t understand how this is better than actual meat,” he said, then swallowed and picked up the phone, switching it to FaceTime mode. “Hey, Betts, I was just about to call you. Guess who kidnapped me this morning.”

“Hey, B!”

“Hey, V!” Betty said. “I figured it out when it was Smithers who showed up at my house with groceries instead of you, Juggy. Ronnie, I love you, but you have terrible timing. Polly’s come unannounced with the kids, I’m sure you can hear the noise. And you’re detaining the only person who has a way with them in some horrible urban jungle!”

“I hate to admit it, Betts, but it’s not horrible at all. The vegan burgers they have here… Oh. My. God.”

Jughead took a bite of the half-eaten burger, rolled his eyes in ecstasy and groaned theatrically.

“I get it, you’re in heaven, but please come back as soon as possible?” Betty pleaded over the sound of two very noisy children, frolicking behind her back. “Junior and Jasmine are effectively preempting my plans to actually catch up with my sister. We’re currently baking cookies.”

“We’re coming, B, don’t worry,” Veronica assured. “I’ll visit, too, if you don’t mind. I’d love to see the kids!”

“Of course! See you in an hour?” Betty sent them a kiss, waved goodbye and hung up.

Jughead finished his burger and grinned at Veronica.

“Can I order one more to go?”

 

*

 

Jughead and Veronica ended up ordering a bunch of burgers and a ton of fries for everyone. During the ride home she tried to convince him to rethink the plan for improvisation and rather go with some ‘grand gesture’.

“For the love of everything holy, Veronica, I’m not proposing underwater. Or organizing a flash mob, for that matter.”

“You could at least write a poem! You’re a writer, after all.”

“I write _crime novels_. You can do something crazy when you propose to Archie, okay?”

Jughead’s phone chimed with a message.

“Speak of the devil,” he said.

 

_YOU CAN DO IT SERPENT KING!!! GOOD LUCK BRO AA_

 

“I texted him when we left the burger place,” admitted Veronica with a smile.

“Great, now I really have to hurry and do it before someone else hears about it and it reaches Betts.”

“It’s just Arch and me and we’re not telling anyone… wait. I might’ve mentioned something to my mum yesterday, after you called me. But I promise, no one else.” He glared at her. “Anyway! The thing you just said. About _moi_ proposing to Archiekins.”

“I’m pretty sure I meant it as a joke. I might have fooled you, because I always tell them with a straight face. But, you know, I’m a feminist. Whatever works for you guys.”

“This is an excellent idea. And I get to plan it _exactly_ as I want it. And I already have a ring. And we’re going to Hawaii. Can you check your calendar and tell me when you and Betty would be free for an engagement party? I was thinking Bali.”

While she ranted, he texted Archie back.

  

_Thanks! Also as your blood brother I feel inclined to inform you that V is thinking about proposing to you, she bought herself a ring today. JJ_

 

Archie answered with a picture of himself holding yet another ring. The tag read:

 

_guess she’s gonna have two then ;) Hawaiiii!_

 

Jughead stifled a laugh.

 

*

 

All in all, it was a fun Saturday afternoon, although also tiring, so everyone decided to turn in early. They saw Veronica off with kisses, as she left for New York. Betty offered to clean after the excellent meal they had, while Jughead helped Polly put the kids to bed. A certain piece of metal almost burned a hole through his jeans’ pocket, and now that he and Betty were about to be alone, he started having second thoughts. Not about the proposal itself, but about the ring. When Betty was changing in the bathroom adjacent to their room, he texted Veronica.

 

       _V, I’m worried_

_What if B thinks the ring is some symbol of her as my possession or sth_

_I MEAN IT CAN KINDA BE INTERPRETED AS SUCH_

_Should’ve gone for the huge fucking rainbow diamond instead_

 

_Such good author such bad language? ;) V_

 

_THAT’S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY HERE LODGE??_

 

“Hey, so I was thinking,” said Betty quietly, closing the bathroom door.

Jughead immediately put his phone away after turning the sound off, just in case. She wore her usual white and pink pajamas and had already put her hair in a tight bun.

“I don’t know, it’s probably the whole ‘Veronica is proposing to Archie’ thing, which by the way is amazing, but should we maybe return to discussing our future?”

She sat cross-legged on the bed and put a hand on his knee. He glanced down and tried very hard not to picture _the ring_ on one of her fingers.

“I know you have the premiere upcoming and everything is pretty stressful right now, but… how about afterwards? I just mean returning to the discussion, not actually _doing_ anything yet.”

He thought very hard for a couple of seconds. His hand went up almost automatically, to take the imperishable beanie off.

“Say something,” she pressed lightly.

“Well. Actually, uh—wait here.”

He reached for his jeans, which lay on a chair, folded particularly neatly.

“Veronica and I, we went shopping today and I have something for you.”

Her beautiful laugh filled the room.

“Jughead Jones, dodging his girlfriend’s questions by presenting her with expensive gifts! Not that I’m complaining, but— _Juggy_.”

The last word she whispered. He stood before her, the ring shining in his hand.

“I don’t care about the premiere, Betty. It’s not my first time. I care about something else, though. If you’d like, we can resume the discussion right now.”

She got to her trembling feet.

“Are these—“

“I hope you… I thought maybe an actual crown-shaped ring would be too much, but this one I liked. Ronnie did, too, she spotted it actually.”

The ring was golden, with a small emerald hugged at each side with pieces of metal that resembled tiny crowns, if one had enough imagination.

“Then I panicked and thought that maybe you’d think I’m trying to mark you as my possession or something equally terrible or—“

“Juggy,” she interrupted his rant. “Be quiet? This is perfect.”

She gently took the ring and put it on. It fit like a glove.

“I love you, Betty Cooper.”

Whenever he said it this way, they both recalled the first time he did, all those years ago in FP’s old trailer, when neither of them knew where they were headed, but they hoped for the best anyway.

“Jughead Jones… I love you,” she whispered, as always.

He kissed her briefly before saying one more thing, simply because he couldn’t resist.

“For this to still work after we get married, you know you have to keep your last name, right?”

 

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction ever, so kudos and comments are EVERYHTING. I honestly don’t know what to think of it. I just had to get it out of my system. Hope it's at least fun to read!
> 
> English isn’t my first language, so if you see any grammatical mistakes, by all means, be a grammar nazi. I love grammar nazis. I am, in fact, a grammar nazi myself, so I love befriending other grammar nazis.
> 
> YOU CAN DO IT SERPENT KING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3I25VuZYwY
> 
> For the sake of the story, let’s assume Riverdale lies about an hour drive from New York.
> 
> I thought for some time about a name for Polly’s daughter and eventually went with Jasmine. I felt it was aristocratic enough to satisfy the Blossom part of the family and also kinda cute, but I don’t know. Any better ideas? The boy’s obviously named Jason Jr.
> 
> Crown-shaped rings are actually quite pretty, you know. But I wanted something more subtle.
> 
> The title comes (almost, it's 'uneasy' originally) from Shakespeare’s "Henry IV", I was looking for something crown related and found it somewhat fitting.


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